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Amanda Kitts is mobbed by four- and five-year-olds as she enters the classroom at the Kiddie Kottage Learning Center near Knoxville, Tennessee. "Hey kids, how're my babies today?" she says, patting shoulders and ruffling hair. Slender and energetic, she has operated this day-care center and two others for almost 20 years. She crouches down to talk to a small girl, putting her hands on her knees.
"The robot arm!" several kids cry.
"You remember this, huh?" says Kitts, holding out her left arm. She turns her hand palm up. There is a soft whirring sound. If you weren't paying close attention, you'd miss it. She bends her elbow, accompanied by more whirring...READ MORE

Manning said he wore orthotics and had some extra tape to
support his foot. He even had tape around the outside of his cleats; players
call it wearing "spats."

"Nothing too heavy," Manning said of the tape job.
"It wasn't anything major, just a little extra support." He wore
high-top cleats, but that's not unusual for him.

Was there any pharmaceutical support?

No. Manning said he did not have any shots of cortisone,
painkillers or anti-inflammatories in his foot.

How did the heel feel?

"It felt great during the game," Manning said.
"I felt that I could do everything, run the offense. I didn't tell coach
Gilbride or Coughlin, 'Hey, don't run this' or 'don't do that.' I felt like I
could do everything we had to do."

So after he left the game, did Manning tune out?

Heck, no. "I actually called a timeout," Manning
said. "I don't know if that's legal or not, but I called a timeout on the
sideline in the two-minute drill. I saw the clock running down, and I yelled it
out."

That saved a delay-of-game penalty. "[The official]
might have thought I was the head coach," Manning said.

Will he practice this week?

"Hopefully, it feels great tomorrow morning," he
said after the game. "I don't have any doubt that it won't, so hopefully,
I will be able to get back to practice all next week and work on getting
better."

Petaluma caregiver Sally Pyne and her box turtle Lucky were to board a
plane for New York City Wednesday for an appearance on NBC's “Today”
show — part of a whirlwind of media coverage she's received since her
pet first ventured out on newfangled legs last month.

Lucky, his front extremities chewed off by what Pyne believes was a
raccoon, has been featured far and wide in newspapers and on the
Internet since a Rohnert Park veterinarian outfitted his shell with
furniture coasters that allow him to scoot around as if he's still a
four-legged critter.

More than 66,000 people have viewed a YouTube video showing him with female partner, Lovey, in their Petaluma home.

The
Los Angeles Times, Fox News, the British Broadcasting Corporation and
several British newspapers are among the many more traditional media
outlets in which Lucky and his owner have made news.

A British
reporter told Pyne, “They're mad for animal stories in England,” she
said by phone Wednesday while en route to the airport.

The pair
is slated for “Today” on Thursday morning, and will be joined by Al
Wolf of Sonoma County Reptile Rescue in Sebastopol, Pyne said.

It
was Wolf who gave Lucky to Pyne in the first place when the box
turtle's former owners could no longer keep him, so “this is perfect,”
she said Wednesday.

Lucky, housed in a small cat crate with food
and a warm blanket, will ride with them in the aircraft cabin, she
said. They're staying at the famed Essex hotel before their return
flight Thursday afternoon.

Pyne wasn't sure who will interview
her, but figures this news story is too “soft” for the likes of Matt
Lauer or even Meredith Vieira.

“It's really crazy,” Pyne said. “I never ever thought it would grow into this. I'm fine with it. It's just a little silly.”

Pyne
said her dream is not to go on television, but to somehow turn her five
minutes of fame into something positive for animals - say a non-profit
fund to help pet owners pay for emergency medical care when they can't
afford it.

Her idea is still unformed, but in the meantime she's
trying to raise donations to defray her own $900 bill for Lucky's care
— a daunting amount for someone on a home caregiver's pay.

She's set up a “Lucky Fund” at the Bank of Marin on Baywood Drive in Petaluma.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- The Amputee Coalition of America and theAmerican Orthotic and Prosthetic Association today announced that Senators TomHarkin and Olympia J. Snowe and Representatives Robert E. Andrews, GeorgeMiller, and Lincoln Diaz-Balart are recipients of their joint organizations'2009 Legislative Appreciation Awards.

The awards are being presented today at a mini-Hill Day event, with more than40 amputees and advocates from around the country also visiting Capitol Hillto make specific recommendations to Congress for the inclusion of prostheticarms and legs in the national healthcare reform legislation.

"For their commitment, dedication and service to ensuring quality healthcarefor amputees and their effort to make certain that fair insurance coverage isavailable for prosthetic arms and legs, we are proud to present these awardsas a token of our appreciation to these members of Congress," said KendraCalhoun, Amputee Coalition president and CEO. Calhoun emphasized thathealthcare for amputees needs fair consideration in any healthcare reformproposal. "Amputees are no longer a hidden part of our society, and they needto be heard in the healthcare debate. This is the message they will carry toCapitol Hill today."

The Amputee Coalition and other disability groups have heralded the inclusionin the healthcare reform bills of guaranteed issue and renewal of coverage inthe individual and small group markets, the prohibition of pre-existing healthcondition exclusions, and the end of annual and lifetime insurance caps, witha limit on out-of-pocket spending. According to Calhoun, amputees also want aguarantee that they will have fair access to arms and legs.

In May, Rep. Robert E. Andrews introduced the "Prosthetic and Custom OrthoticParity Act of 2009" (H.R. 2575), which would require employer-paid healthplans to provide coverage for prosthetic and custom-fabricated orthoticdevices on par with the coverage offered for other medical and surgicalservices. Sens. Harkin and Snowe co-sponsored a similar prosthetic parity billin the Senate in 2008 and are working on introducing a new one this year.Reps. Miller and Diaz-Balart also signed onto the House bill as lead sponsors.

"At a time when healthcare costs are rising by about 7 percent annually, thefinancial hardship on those in need of prosthetic devices is devastating,"said Rep. Andrews. "Yet, by expanding coverage for prosthetic devices so thatit is on par with other types of essential care, not only will amputeesreceive necessary treatment and experience better quality of life, but thehealthcare industry as a whole will save money. Since prosthetics oftendramatically decrease secondary health problems for those in need, thebenefits of this coverage far outweigh the costs in the long run."

Though 17 states have passed similar prosthetic parity laws, amputee advocatesstill say that there needs to be a national law.

"These state laws have helped many people," said Tom Fise, American Orthoticand Prosthetic Association executive director, "but they are not enough.Without a federal law, there will always be amputees who fall through thecracks."

The awards ceremony for House members will be held at 9 a.m. today in theRayburn House Office Building (Room B-318). The ceremony for Senate memberswill be held at noon in the Capitol Visitor Center (Room SVC 214).

About the Amputee Coalition of AmericaThe Amputee Coalition is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is"to reach out to and empower people affected by limb loss to achieve theirfull potential through education, support and advocacy, and to promote limbloss prevention." The organization is based in Knoxville, Tennessee, and hasan advocacy staff in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit theAmputee Coalition's prosthetic parity Web page atwww.armsandlegsarenotaluxury.com or call 888/267-5669.

About the American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association (AOPA)AOPA, based in Alexandria, Virginia, is the largest nonprofit organizationdedicated to helping orthotic and prosthetic businesses and professionalsnavigate the multitude of issues surrounding the delivery of quality patientcare. This year, the association celebrates the 92nd anniversary of itsfounding in 1917, when the needs of returning veterans in the aftermath ofWorld War I required a national organization to address the educational andresearch needs of the industry. For more information, visit the AOPA Web siteat www.aopanet.org or call 571/431-0876.

Companies
that make medical devices are concerned that they are going to have to
carry a heavy tax burden under a health care reform plan proposed by
Senator Max Baucus. Baucus is the Senate Finance Committee Chairman.

His plan would place fees on medical device manufacturers to help pay for health care reform.

Andy
Besser is the manager of a prosthetics and orthotics company in
Davenport. Many of the components used to make artificial arms and
legs would be taxed under the Baucus plan. Joints for knee braces and
prosthetic feet that the company orders from other manufacturers would
be included in that tax.

That added cost will be passed on to
his company and in turn to the consumer. He says as expenses go up, it
might be difficult for some medical device companies to keep people on
board as well as hire and expand businesses. Besser says it's going to
become just that much tougher.

LEDYARD, Conn. – A Massachusetts man who lost his leg in an accident at Foxwoods Resort Casino in 2006 received a $2.9 million award in what may be the largest personal injury claim ever negotiated in a tribal court.

Richard Murch, 69, of Tewksbury, Mass., and the Mashantucket Pequot
Gaming Enterprise agreed to settle the claim minutes before a trial was
to begin in Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Court in early August.

MPGE is the business arm of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, which owns Foxwoods Resort Casino in southeastern Connecticut. Tribal officials said it was their largest settlement.

New London attorney M. John Strafaci, who represented Murch, said it may be the largest settlement in any tribal court.

“Once the settlement was announced to Mr. Murch, once we told him we
had reached a number that would provide him and his family with future
security, he had a big smile on his face and his family said it was the
first time they’d seen him smile like that since the accident. It was
just a giant weight taken off his shoulders, knowing he could pay his
bills and the family could have some security,” Strafaci said.

WORCESTER, Mass. On September 16, leaders in research and
development of implantable limb neuroprosthetics will gather at
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) to discuss the state of the field
and to advance collaborations that will push next-generation artificial
limbs and prosthetic devices closer to clinical application.

Organized by the Center for Neuroprosthetics in WPI's Bioengineering Institute (BEI), with grant support from the

John Adams

Innovation Institute, "Neuroprosthetics 2009: Today's Progress,
Tomorrow's Promise" is the only national conference this year focused
on the scientific and engineering problems that must be solved to
enable a new generation of artificial limbs that more closely replicate
the function of natural limbs.

"There is a great human need
for better, more functional prosthetic devices, especially for our
soldiers who have been severely injured in Iraq and Afghanistan," says
W. Grant McGimpsey, professor of chemistry and biochemistry and
director of the BEI, who organized the event. "We are very pleased to
sponsor and host this symposium, so that many of the best minds in this
field can come together, interact and discuss how to attack the very
complicated problems that need to be solved if we are to realize the
progress that so many people hope for and would benefit from."

More
than 150 scientists, engineers, clinicians and other professionals from
around the country who work in various facets of the prosthetics and
neuroprosthetics fields are expected to attend.

The
day-long symposium will be held in WPI's Campus Center in Worcester,
Mass. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. The event is free, and the
morning and afternoon plenary sessions are open to the public.
Afternoon break-out sessions are by invitation only.

This
center in the Bioengineering Institute at Worcester Polytechnic
Institute is engaged in research aimed at developing technology that
will place prosthetic limbs and organs under the control of the nervous
system, enabling users to control these devices in the same way they do
their natural appendages and organs. For military personnel who have
lost limbs, neuroprosthetics will offer more rapid recovery and
rehabilitation. The center draws upon WPI faculty expertise in the life
sciences and biomedical, electrical, and mechanical engineering,
including such areas as electronic control systems, communications,
imaging, sensors, bio-compatibility, and biomaterials.

About the WPI Bioengineering Institute

The
WPI Bioengineering Institute (BEI) is a multidisciplinary R&D
organization utilizing academic, industry, and government partnerships
to develop innovative healthcare technologies. BEI focuses on several
major technologies, including sensing, bioprocessing, imaging,
nanotechnology, remote diagnostics and treatment, and water quality.
Seven multidisciplinary centers enable scientists, engineers, and
clinicians to address tough research challenges with flexibility and
imagination.

About Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Founded
in 1865 in Worcester, Mass., WPI was one of the nation's first
engineering and technology universities. WPI's14 academic departments
offer more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in
science, engineering, technology, management, the social sciences, and
the humanities and arts, leading to bachelor's, master's and PhD
degrees. WPI's world-class faculty work with students in a number of
cutting-edge research areas, leading to breakthroughs and innovations
in such fields as biotechnology, fuel cells, information security,
materials processing, and nanotechnology. Students also have the
opportunity to make a difference to communities and organizations
around the world through the university's innovative Global Perspective
Program. There are more than 20 WPI project centers throughout North
America and Central America, Africa, Australia, Asia, and Europe.

The Board of Directors of Ossur
hf. has today decided to apply for listing of the Company's shares on
NASDAQ OMX Copenhagen. Ossur's shares will continue to be listed on
NASDAQ OMX Iceland as they have been since 1999.

An
additional listing on NASDAQ OMX Copenhagen is believed to make strong
strategic sense for the Company. Copenhagen offers access to the
international investor community and is a recognized market for
healthcare companies. Listing and compliance requirements are similar
in Denmark and Iceland and both exchanges are part of the NASDAQ OMX
Nordic group.

Jon Sigurdsson, President &
CEO: "The listing of our shares in Iceland has served us well and we
remain committed to all current and future shareholders. Since our
initial listing, our sales have grown more than twenty times and we
have transformed into a global company. The additional listing in
Copenhagen is a logical next step for us. It is aimed at facilitating
trade and fair pricing of our shares and strengthening the Company's
foundation for future growth."

The new listing is expected to be approved next week. Nordea Bank will be the issuing agent in Denmark. Further information will be disclosed when the application for listing has been approved.

Following
the listing the Board of Directors will, in order to facilitate
liquidity, consider a modest issue of new shares corresponding to 5-7%
of the Company's share capital. Such an issue would be directed towards
institutional investors and in this connection Ossur has engaged Nordea
Markets as financial advisor.

Trading with
Icelandic financial instruments is currently subject to Icelandic
Foreign Exchange Rules. Investors domiciled outside Iceland will, in
general, be able to trade Ossur shares freely on the Danish market.
Investors domiciled in Iceland can trade Ossur shares freely on the
Icelandic market.

Further information on
Ossur, including an introduction brochure and additional information on
the trading of Ossur shares and transfer between Iceland and Denmark
can be found on Ossur's website: www.ossur.com/investors

About Ossur Ossur
(OMX: OSSR) is a global leader in non-invasive orthopaedics that help
people live a life without limitations. Its business is focused on
improving people's mobility through the delivery of innovative
technologies within the fields of bracing and supports, prosthetic
limbs and compression therapies. A recognized "Technology Pioneer",
Ossur invests significantly in research and product development; its
award-winning designs ensuring a consistently strong position in the
market. Successful patient and clinical outcomes are further empowered
via Ossur's educational programs and business solutions. Headquartered
in Iceland, Ossur has major operations in North America and Europe,
with additional distributors worldwide.

This announcement was originally distributed by Hugin. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.